After a nail-biting win to open their campaign, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to build momentum when they take on UP Warriorz in what has become one of the most evenly matched rivalries in the WPL (see head-to-head below).
RCB come into the contest buoyed by a dramatic last-ball victory over defending champions Mumbai Indians on opening night, powered by a stunning finishing act from Nadine de Klerk. However, despite the win, there were clear warning signs with the bat. The absence of Ellyse Perry, who pulled out of the season for personal reasons, and the delayed return of Pooja Vastrakar due to injury left a noticeable gap in what would otherwise have been their strongest XI. The new opening combination of skipper Smriti Mandhana and Grace Harris showed early promise, even if it didn’t last long, but overall RCB struggled to post a competitive batting performance.
Chasing a modest target against MI, RCB slumped to 65/5 before de Klerk emerged as the unlikely saviour. With unfinished business at the DY Patil Stadium, she produced a sensational finish—smashing a sequence of 6, 4, 6, 4 off Nat Sciver-Brunt—to snatch victory when 18 were needed off the final four balls. While some bowling match-ups raised questions, it is the batting unit that will demand immediate attention going forward.
UP Warriorz, meanwhile, will be desperate to open their account on Monday after a narrow 10-run defeat to Gujarat Giants. Chasing a tournament-record target of 208, UPW showed remarkable fight to finish on 197, driven by a blistering 78 from Phoebe Litchfield. Their batting largely delivered despite a collective off-day for the Indian batters, but the bowling attack found itself under scrutiny after conceding over 200 runs. Sophie Ecclestone stood out with figures of 2 for 32, but none of the other bowlers managed an economy rate under 9.7 runs per over.
When: Monday, January 12 at 7:30 PM IST
Where: DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
What to expect: Another flat pitch is on the cards, with conditions likely to favour a high-scoring contest.
Head to head: RCB 3 – 3 UPW
Team News
Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
There’s usually little incentive to change a winning combination, but RCB may consider bolstering their batting depth.
Probable XI:
Smriti Mandhana (C), Georgia Voll / Linsey Smith, D Hemalatha, Grace Harris, Richa Ghosh, Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Prema Rawat, Lauren Bell
UP Warriorz:
Despite the defeat, UPW are expected to stick with the XI that appears strongest on paper.
Probable XI:
Kiran Navgire, Meg Lanning (C), Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Deandra Dottin, Shweta Sehrawat (wk), Shikha Pandey, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana, Kranti Gaud
